Monday, 4 June 2018

Speculation has been rife as to who should make the cut for their country, but which players exactly will be participating?

The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia begins on June 14 and ends on July 15, with 32 squads from around the globe taking part in football's most prestigious tournament.

Of the 32 teams taking part, 20 of those will be making back-to-back appearances, including reigning champions Germany, while less recognised national sides such as Iceland and Panama are making their first appearances.

Similarly, fans of the beautiful game will see star household names such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo represent their respective countries, but will also have the privilege of discovering new faces as coaches look to break in a new generation of younger players.

Speculation over which players should be 'on the plane' has been rife amongst those eager to see their favourite players turn out for their nations – but spaces in national squads are limited.

So, how many players make the cut and who exactly who is going to Russia? Goal has all the answers.

When will the World Cup squads be announced?

FIFA require the final 23-man squad lists to be finalised on June 4 at the latest, although many countries have chosen to announce their teams in advance.

While the FIFA deadline is in place it is at the discretion of each national team coach as to whether they wish to reveal their plans before those dates.

What big teams & players will miss out?

Even though it is the biggest event in football, the World Cup will be devoid of some of the best players in the world in 2018.

Alexis Sanchez won't be taking part as Chile fell at the final hurdle, although their absence at the tournament influenced Argentina's inclusion, meaning fans won't have to miss out on seeing Lionel Messi turn out for the Albiceleste. Similarly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has retired from international football and will not represent Sweden in Russia, despite teasing the media and fans with vague suggestions that he would be going to the tournament.

Italy are probably the most notable absentees, with the four-time World Cup winners having crashed out to Sweden in the play-offs, ending Gianluigi Buffon's hopes of picking up a second title. Gareth Bale's Wales also crashed out in the play-offs, while the Netherlands , who finished third in 2014, miss out too after a dismal qualifying campaign. The United States men's national team didn't make the cut either, meaning they'll miss their first World Cup since 1986.

However, even those nations who did qualify for the tournament are worrying about the fitness of their star players ahead of the competition and some teams have been dealt personnel blows already.

France boss Didier Deschamps will have to plan for Russia without the services of Laurent Koscielny , who suffered a horrific Achilles tendon injury while playing for Arsenal against Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final, while Karim Benzema 's omission is taken as a given due to the Real Madrid striker's soured relationship with the national team. Dimitri Payet will also miss out after aggravating a thigh injury in the Europa League final.

Gareth Southgate had to re-think his plans for England after Liverpool duo Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez sustained season-ending injuries, while Adam Lallana – fresh from injury return – did not make the final 23-man cut but has been placed on standby.

Dani Alves has been ruled out of Brazil's squad due to injury, but the good news is that Neymar appears to have made a full recovery from the foot injury he sustained in the months leading up tot he tournament.

In a stunning move, Germany boss Joachim Low opted not to take Manchester City star Leroy Sane to the tournament, despite the winger enjoying an excellent season at club level.

Inter striker Mauro Icardi did not make Jorge Sampaoli's final 23-man Argentina squad, while Man Utd goalkeeper Sergio Romero has been ruled out due to a knee injury with Tigres UANL's Nahuel Guzmán taking his place.

Found this post interesting? Kindly click the share button to shareJoin the conversation. Leave a Comment